A Tall Tale
by mariajonsson
Summary: Arya wakes early one morning and accidently stumbles upon her parents in a heated embrace. Her little mind wonders what it all means and comes to the conclusion that a new Stark is about to be born.


**A Tall Tale**

A/N: Nothing beats writing a fic when one is supposed to be studying! But this little bug just wouldn't leave me alone. Sorry about any mistakes and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters and background belong to George R.R. Martin. This is just for fun.

Arya woke earlier than usual; the sun had not yet risen and Sansa was still fast asleep in her bed. Arya had to push down the desire to wake her, but Mother had told her that when she wakes before her sister it is not good manners to wake her by jump on her bed.

She stayed in her room for an hour or so, playing with her fake sword (really just a stick from the Godswood), pretending to be Queen Nymeria but soon she grew bored of being alone and wandered out to see if her brothers were awake.

Unfortunately all the boys were fast asleep, even Jon, who was usually up before the others. Arya wandered around, passing some of the servants who were already on their feet getting things in order for the day.

Finally Arya walked towards Mother's chambers thinking that Father was almost certainly in his solar by now, leaving Mother alone, so that Arya might crawl into Mother's bed with her, without anyone knowing.

She knocked softly and waited for a reply, as her parents had often said she should do, but she had never been patient and when no reply came she knocked again, this time a little bit harder.

After the second knock she heard a soft noise coming from inside and she opened the door softly and peeked inside. The first thing she saw was that Father had, in fact, not left for his solar. No they were both here, on Mother's bed. Mother was on all fours and Father on his knees behind her.

They were both naked, which confused Arya a great deal since Mother, and especially Septa Mordane, had started making such a fuss when Arya swam naked with Bran in the hot pools but then here her parents were naked as their nameday involved in something Arya couldn't quite find the words to describe.

She was startled from her thoughts when Mother called out Father's name and Arya almost yelped but managed to keep it in, placing a hand over her mouth. Father answered Mother with a growl and pushed some of Mother's hair off her back, before grabbing her hips and slamming his against her backside, creating a loud slapping sound.

Arya backed out of the room, closing the door behind her as she ran back to her own chambers, only to find Sansa still fast asleep. Arya wasn't sure what Mother and Father had been doing, but they were clearly otherwise engaged and took no notice of her, utterly unlike when Arya and Bran fight and Mother knows even though she is almost at the other side of Winterfell.

By the time the sun had risen and Arya was sitting in the Great Hall, with her brothers and sister, breaking her fast, she had figured out what Mother and Father were doing.

They had been making a new baby, like the dogs in the kennel. She had once seen the big black hound get on top of one of Farlen's bitches and when she asked what they were doing Farlen said that they were making puppies, and some two moons later, five little black pups appeared in the kennel. Mother and Father must have been making a new baby after all Bran was the youngest and he was four.

Sansa called her name and Arya looked up at her annoying sister and prayed that the new babe was a girl but not stupid, like Sansa.

"Mother is gonna have a new baby." She blurted out to her older brothers as they walked towards the yard for their lessons with Ser Rodrik, wanting to share her knowledge with someone.

"No she isn't." Robb said, not even stopping to look at her. "If she was, she and Father would tell us."

"Maybe not, maybe it is a secret." Arya argued.

Robb just laughed and ran off. Jon ruffled Arya's hair before following the oldest Stark, leaving her behind, but calling to her that she should go to Septa Mordane before the woman came looking for her.

As Arya laid her head on the pillow that night, Mother having just left after saying Goodnight, she wondered if maybe she shouldn't have told so many about the new babe. She had just been so excited to be the first one to know, that she felt compelled to spread the news. Mother and Father were going to tell them soon anyways, right?

* * *

The first thing Catelyn noticed were the strange way her ladies acted around her, all delicate and asking every five seconds if she were well. Then Gage, the head cook, come to her, asking if there were anything special she would like for her meals. The final straw was when Maester Ludwin come to her after the midday meal when she was doing the accounts and asked why she did not come to him; if she no longer trusted him after Bran's difficult birth. She finally relented and asked the man what in the Gods name he was speaking of.

"The child, my lady." He said, "that you are carrying." It took Catelyn the better part of an hour to assure him that he still had her trust and confidence both in regards to herself and her children, and another thirty minutes to convince him that she simply was not with child and so there was no need to tell him of any child she might be carrying. Afterwards, she managed to pull out of him where he had heard such a rumour and it took her the rest of the day but in the end she found the culprit.

When Catelyn told Ned of the rumour he looked sheepish and when she asked him what troubled him, he confessed that people had been congratulating him all morning, but he thought he had forgotten some important occasion and was to embarrassed, to frightened she thinks, to ask her what was going on.

They decided to wait until the next day before sitting down with Arya in Catelyn's chambers.

"Why am I here?" Arya said, walking around Catelyn's room, picking up everything she can lift.

"Please sit down Arya." Ned said in his 'Lord' voice and Arya quickly sat down.

"Did I do something bad?" She asked, her grey eyes curious and apologetic at the same time, and Catelyn had to restrain herself from running to her and taking her into her arms.

"There has been some talk in the castle that your mother is with child and people say they heard it from you." Ned said quietly, but still keeping his lord's face in place

"We aren't angry with you, sweetling." Catelyn said to her. "We just want to know why you would say such a thing."

Arya bit her lower lip and swung her feet, looking down into her lap. Tears started gathering in her eyes and Catelyn couldn't take any more of this walked over and pulled her daughter into her lap allowing Arya to wipe her tears on Catelyn's sleeve before they ran down her cheeks.

"I saw you and Father, making a new babe and I just..." Arya whispered, before Ned cut her off.

"What do you mean you saw us making a new babe?" Ned said curiously, moving to stand next to them, lowering himself down to her level.

"Yesterday, I woke up early and since none of the others were awake, I came to see Mother… and you were doing what Farlen's dogs do." Arya whispered, but Catelyn could see the determination in her eyes.

Catelyn's eyes went wide and they looked at Ned, but Ned's eyes were closed and he abruptly stood up and turned his back to them, but Arya's eyes were on her and she felt a blush covering her cheeks but she didn't have it in her to look at her daughter.

"That's why you were naked wasn't it?" Arya said, pulling the focus back to her. "You were making us another brother or sister. If you're taking requests, I would like it to be a girl, but not a girl like Sansa but not really like me. Maybe a girl like Bran, well a Bran that's a girl. Yes, I think I would like that."

As Arya mused on her request, Ned finally looked over to Catelyn and she could see his shock and horror, and she wanted to go to him, but there were other things to focus on, mostly how they could minimize the damage of what their daughter had witnessed.

"Arya, what you saw." Catelyn paused before continuing. "That was not for your eyes."

"Why not?" Arya asked, staring up at her with her Father's eyes.

Catelyn could hear Ned groan loudly and she rolled her eyes at his theatrics.

"Sweetling, when your father and I are in my room, what happens here is only between the two of us."

"Why?" Arya asked, looking between her parents with big round eyes. "Where you doing something bad? Is Father not allowed to stay in your bed?"

Catelyn looked at Ned again, however he appeared to have nothing to say so it fell on Catelyn to answer.

"No, sweetling. We weren't doing anything bad and your Father, like you, is always welcome here. But you see what your father and I do here when we are alone, is something that we only share with one another and is not for your eyes, nor anyone else's."

"And you know that you are supposed to knock and wait for a reply before entering a room that is not your own, young lady." Ned reprimanded her in a calm voice.

A scowl formed on Arya's face as she exclaimed loudly that she had in fact knock. "Twice. I knocked twice Father and after the second one I heard a sound, so I opened the door. I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to tell, but I was just so excited."

Understanding replaced some of Catelyn's irritation and embarrassment; after all she could well understand Arya's excitement. Catelyn had wanted another babe since a year after Bran had been born and since then more than three years had passed.

"Alright, Arya. I understand you meant no harm, but you have to promise me that you will stop telling people that there is to be a new babe unless your Father and I have told you there is to be one. Alright?" Catelyn said and Arya nodded her head and told them she promised on her honour as a Stark, staring at Ned for approval, having probably heard him say this before.

Ned nodded his head and smiled and Arya rushed into his open arms.

"Alright my little spy. Why don't you go and play with you siblings?" He said to her as he put her down on her feet next to the open door.

Arya didn't need to be told twice and Catelyn could hear her footsteps as she ran down the hall.

"Gods! That was not what I expected her to say." Ned said, as he fell down onto one of the chairs.

"No, me either." Catelyn answered before standing up and moving over to her husband, his arms coming up around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap, burying his face in her hair.

"We need a lock on that door." Ned spoke into her hair, one of his hands pulling her skirts up.

"There is a lock, my love. But neither of us remembers to use it." She told him, pulling his hand away from their task.

"I want you." He whispered in her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"I know my love and I you." She answered before turning to kiss him on the lips. "But we have duties, you promised those farmers an audience and I have to make plans for Robb's nameday feast."

Catelyn pulled herself up from his lap, his large hands lingering on her hips before he relenting and letting her go.

"Alright my love. Have it your way." Ned growled, before straightening out his clothes.

"I usually do." Catelyn said, laughing, pulling him by his hand towards the door. "Lets just hope Arya doesn't tell people why she thought there was to be another Stark."

Ned groaned loudly and Catelyn laughed, as her cheeks burned.

The End.


End file.
